Dr. Franz Flögel

Head of Research Department Spatial Capital
// +49 (0)209.1707-203
Born 1985. Master's studies in Human Geography, Economics and Political Science at the University of Potsdam, the Humboldt University of Berlin and the University of Nottingham. Since 2010 research associate at the Institute for Work and Technology in the research focus “Spatial Capital.” PhD completed in 2017 at the Chair of Economic Geography, Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt, on the topic of corporate lending by regional banks compared with large banks. Since 2025, director of the research department spatial capital together with Stefan Gärtner.
Work / research focus:
- Financial geography, in particular regional banks and development, and public finance
- Educational regions / vocational education and knowledge transfer
-
Regional development / structural policy
Awards:
- 2006–2010 Merit scholarship, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes (German Academic Scholarship Foundation)
- 2013–2015 PhD scholarship, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
- 2017 Doctoral Prize of the Eichstätt University Society (Eichstätter Universitätsgesellschaft e.V.) for outstanding scientific theses
Memberships:
- Arbeitskreis Geographische Handelsforschung
- VGDH (Verband für Geographie an deutschsprachigen Hochschulen und Forschungseinrichtungen)
- Alumni, Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
Projects (selection)
Engaging entrepreneurial ecosystems for the youth / Ecosys4you
Project run-time: 01.06.2023 - 31.05.2026- Project run-time: 01.07.2019 - 31.03.2022
Measuring diversity - Geographical diversity and regional banks in Europe / GDivEU
Project run-time: 01.06.2021 - 30.11.2021
English Publications (Selection)
| Year | Title / Citation | Document type | Links / Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2025: Beyond start-up formation: Effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem support activities for developing lagging regions Citation: Flögel, F., Letonja, M., Meyer, K., Rabadjieva, M., Vilman, Z., Zhekova, R., Zlateva, M. & Butzin, A. (2025): Beyond start-up formation: Effects of entrepreneurial ecosystem support activities for developing lagging regions. Local Economy: The Journal of the Local Economy Policy Unit, 2025, 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1177/02690942241311805 | Document type: Journal article | Links / Downloads: |
| 2024 | 2024: Regional banks and economic resilience: the impact of the global financial crisis and COVID-19 on countries with decentralised and centralised banking systems Citation: Flögel, F. & Hejnova, T. (2024): Regional banks and economic resilience: the impact of the global financial crisis and COVID-19 on countries with decentralised and centralised banking systems. Finance and Space, 1 (1), 460-488. https://doi.org/10.1080/2833115X.2024.2418860 | Document type: Journal article | Links / Downloads: |
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Dr. Franz Flögel

Head of Research Department Spatial Capital
// +49 (0)209.1707-203
Jahrgang 1985. Magisterstudium der Humangeographie, Volkswirtschaftslehre und Politikwissenschaften an der Universität Potsdam, der Humboldt Universität zu Berlin und der University of Nottingham. Seit 2010 wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter am Institut Arbeit und Technik im Forschungsschwerpunkt Raumkapital. 2017 Abschluss der Promotion an der Professur für Wirtschaftsgeographie der Katholischen Universität Eichstätt-Ingolstadt zum Thema der Unternehmenskreditvergabe regionaler Banken und Großbanken im Vergleich.
Arbeits-/ Forschungsschwerpunkte:
- Finanzgeographie, insbesondere Banken und Raum, sowie öffentliche regionale Finanzen
- Wirtschaftsförderung / Regionalentwicklung,
- Konsumption / Einzelhandel
Auszeichnungen:
- 2006-2010 Leistungsstipendium der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
- 2013 - 2015 Promotionsstipendium der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
- 2017 Promotionspreis der Eichstätter Universitätsgesellschaft e.V. für herausragende wissenschaftliche Abschlussarbeiten
Mitgliedschaften:
- Arbeitskreis geographische Handelsforschung
- Verband der Geographen an deutschen Hochschulen
- Junges Forum der Akademie für Raumforschung und Landesplanung
- Alumni der Studienstiftung e.V.
Projects (selection)
Show list with all projectsEnglish Publications (Selection)
| Year | Title / Citation | Document type | Links / Downloads |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | 2023: Injecting climate finance into SME lending in Germany: Opportunities for and limitations of regional savings and cooperative Banks Citation: Flögel, F. (2023): Injecting climate finance into SME lending in Germany: Opportunities for and limitations of regional savings and cooperative Banks. ZFW – Advances in Economic Geography, 2023, 13. https://doi.org/10.1515/zfw-2022-0011Although small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) contribute considerably to Germany’s carbon emissions, regional savings and cooperative banks − SMEs’ most important financiers − hardly consider this aspect in lending to these businesses. However, given Germany’s commitment to climate neutrality by 2045, suitable approaches for injecting climate finance into these SME lending processes are greatly required. Against this background, the paper at hand aims to introduce the specific case of regional banks into the debate on green finance and green banking and suggest future research in this context. In discussing the state of research on the peculiarities of regional savings and cooperative banks, we outline the resulting opportunities and limitations for climate impact assessments in SME lending. We argue that while the dual bottom-line orientation of regional banks in Germany precludes them from applying simple positive or negative screenings, their in-depth knowledge about local clients and circumstances enables them to be active and engaging partners for the green transformation of SMEs. Nonetheless, we explain why developing solutions to utilise this knowledge for climate finance by integrating climate impact assessments into routine lending processes remains a particularly challenging task. regional banks, savings banks, cooperative banks, SME lending, climate finance, green banking, climate impact assessment, ESG ratings | Document type: Journal article | Links / Downloads: |
| 2019 | 2019: Will FinTech make regional banks superfluous for small firm finance? Observations from soft information-based lending in Germany Citation: Beckamp, M. & Flögel, F. (2019): Will FinTech make regional banks superfluous for small firm finance? Observations from soft information-based lending in Germany. Economic notes: review of banking, finance and monetary economics, 48 (3), 1-20. https://doi.org/10.1111/ecno.12159 | Document type: Journal article | Links / Downloads: |
| 2018 | 2018: Distance and modern banks’ lending to SMEs: ethnographic insights from a comparison of regional and large banks in Germany Citation: Flögel, F. (2018): Distance and modern banks’ lending to SMEs: ethnographic insights from a comparison of regional and large banks in Germany. Journal of economic geography , 18 (1), 35-57. | Document type: Journal article | Links / Downloads: |
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